SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 6128

As Reported By Senate Committee On:

Natural Resources, Energy & Water, February 4, 2004

Title: An act relating to the acquisition of land for fish and wildlife habitat purposes.

Brief Description: Concerning the acquisition of land for fish and wildlife habitat.

Sponsors: Senators Morton, Honeyford and Mulliken.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Natural Resources, Energy & Water: 1/22/04, 2/4/04 [DPS, DNP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES, ENERGY & WATER

Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6128 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

      Signed by Senators Morton, Chair; Hewitt, Vice Chair; Hale, Hargrove, Honeyford and Oke.

Minority Report: Do not pass.

      Signed by Senators Fraser and Regala.

Staff: Genevieve Pisarski (786-7488)

Background: Concern has been expressed that, when the state acquires land for fish and wildlife habitat, and uses a donation of a portion of the land or its value to satisfy requirements for local matching funds or in-kind contributions, this practice is contrary to the goal of obtaining broad-based community support and involvement.

Summary of Substitute Bill: The state Fish and Wildlife Commission and Salmon Recovery Funding Board are not allowed to include donations of property or property value for purposes of determining a required local match. The board receives authorization to require local matching funds or in-kind contributions as a condition of grants and loans.

The state Fish and Wildlife Commission must make specific information available regarding the habitat purpose for which property is acquired, including the benefitted species, habitat types and species present, relative habitat value of the site, anticipated benefits from the site, and proposed public use. The state Salmon Recovery Funding Board must evaluate the same information for any project that requires land acquisition.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill: A requirement to publish specific information justifying the purpose of an acquisition is added.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: There needs to be limits on the amount of public land in counties that already have large areas of it.

Testimony Against: Local property owners who want to support a project should have the option of donating land or its value as part of the local match. Nonprofit organizations especially need non-monetary ways of making local matches. The public policy of prohibiting donations of land as a local match is not clear.

Testified: Jim Potts, WA Assn. of Counties (pro); Mike Ryherd, WWRC (questions); Jamie Henneman (pro); Hertha Lund, Farm Bureau (pro).